Intestinal obstruction due to sigmoid colon volvulus during pregnancy is a rare complication but associated with significant fetomaternal mortality. We describe a case of sigmoid volvulus in a patient with 37 wk pregnancy causing huge dilation of left colon. Patient developed rectovaginal fistula following nonmedical method to relieve distention by ...

The objective of the study was to investigate transcriptomic profile of pig endometrium on Days 12 and 16 of pregnancy in comparison with the respective days of the estrous cycle. Labeled complementary DNA was hybridized to Porcine Long Oligo microarray containing 13,297 oligonucleotide probes, which represented complementary DNA and expressed ...

Placental development is known for its resemblance with tumor development, such as in the expression of oncogenes (c-myc) and telomerase (hTERT). The expression of c-myc and hTERT is upregulated during early pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs). To determine the role of DNA methylation [via methylation specific-high resolution melting (MS-HRM)]and ...

To identify microRNAs (miRNAs) differentially expressed at early stages of gestation (12-14 weeks) in the serum of pregnant women, who later developed severe preeclampsia (sPE) in the third trimester of pregnancy (n = 24) compared to women with normal pregnancy (n = 24). Sera from 12-14-week-gestation whole blood were subjected to microarray analysis with ...

Introduction:Altered angiogenesis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various pregnancy complications, particularly preeclampsia. At present, there is a lack of data on the possible role of angiogenesis and its molecular mechanism in preterm pregnancy. We have previously reported reduced placental global DNA methylation levels in preterm pregnancy. Now, we ...

Severe fetal hypoxia causes stillbirth and permanent childhood disability. Unfortunately, none of the current tests is precise at determining the degree of fetal hypoxia in utero. We recently showed that hypoxia-induced RNA abundance in the maternal circulation (of likely fetoplacental origin) was tightly correlated with the degree of fetal hypoxia, ...

Analysis of circulating RNA in the plasma of pregnant women has the potential to serve as a powerful tool for noninvasive prenatal testing and research. However, detection of circulating RNA in the plasma in an unbiased and high-throughput manner has been technically challenging. Therefore, only a limited number of circulating ...

Prostaglandins (PGs) are involved in many reproductive activities including luteolysis, maternal recognition of pregnancy, endometrial gene expression, conceptus development, and parturition in domestic animals. However, mechanisms by which PGE2 and PGF2alpha are modulated in the uterine endometrium and expression of ABCC4 and SLCO2A1, responsible for efficient transport of PGs across ...

Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane channels responsible for the transport of water across a cell membrane. Based on reports that AQPs are present and accumulate in the female reproductive tract late in pregnancy, our aim was to study the expression of AQP isoforms (AQP1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 9) ...

Galectin-1 (gal-1) is a prototype carbohydrate-binding protein, whose dysregulation is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spontaneous abortion and preeclampsia. Furthermore, it is known that faulty gal-1 protein production or gene regulation can be caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms in the LGALS1 gene. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is also ...

In pregnancy and lactation, maternal adaptation for the enhancement of intestinal ion and nutrient absorption is of paramount importance for fetal development and lactogenesis. This nutrient hyperabsorption has been reported to result from upregulation of transporter gene expression, in part, under control of lactogenic hormone prolactin (PRL). Since a number ...

The main aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using high-resolution microarray to assist with prenatal diagnosis of ultrasound-detected fetal abnormality and to describe the frequency of abnormal results in different categories of fetal anomalies. Prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on women diagnosed with a fetal anomaly ...

The present study examined the placental leptin (LEP) DNA methylation and mRNA levels in macrosomic infants from normal pregnancies. In total, 49 neonates with macrosomia, i.e., high birth weights of ≥4,000 g, and 52 neonates with normal birth weights between 2,500 g and 4,000 g were recruited from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, ...

The WFS1 gene, encoding a transmembrane glycoprotein of the endoplasmic reticulum called wolframin, is mutated in Wolfram syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder defined by the association of diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and further organ abnormalities. Disruption of the WFS1 gene in mice causes progressive β -cell loss in the pancreas ...

Genetic mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene are common in certain diseases. The effects on the VHL gene in the tubal pregnancy tissues are unknown but with further study, it was found that the VHL gene may be related to prognosis or therapy selection. This study was conducted to ...

Infants of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are more likely to be born large for gestational age with a higher percentage body fat. Elevated maternal lipids may contribute to this. Placental lipases such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), endothelial lipase (EL) and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) are involved in transferring ...

Adler Alexis A New York University Fertility Center, New York University Langone School of Medicine, 660 1st Ave., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016, United States. Electronic address: - - 2013

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis and screening improves the chances of achieving a viable pregnancy, not only free of undesired single-gene defects but also aneuploidy. In addition, improvements in vitrification provide an efficient means of preserving embryos (blastocysts). By combining trophectoderm biopsy with recent improvements in vitrification methods, only those embryos that ...

Phillipps Hollian R HR Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago Dunedin, 9016, New - - 2013

Hyperphagia and weight gain to acquire energy stores for development and growth of the fetus and to prepare for the demands of lactation are important adaptations to support a healthy pregnancy. As a consequence, hypothalamic leptin resistance develops to enable maintenance of a positive energy state. During pregnancy there is ...

Pulmonary hypertension (pHTN), a main determinant of survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), results from in utero vascular remodeling. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have never been used antenatally to treat pHTN. The purpose of this study is to determine if antenatal PDE5 inhibitors can prevent pHTN in the fetal ...

The objective of this study was to characterize the temporal profile of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs; isoforms 1-11) across different stages of gestation in the Barbari goat. Placentae were collected from local abattoir, classified according to crown rump length of the corresponding foetus into five groups (0-30, 31-60, 61-90, 91-120, and ...

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is still associated with increased risk for severe maternal and fetal complications but their pathomechanism remains unclear. We investigated into possible role of placental leptin (LEP) and its receptor gene (LEPR) in T1DM pregnancies. Fourty nine pregnant women with T1DM and singleton pregnancy were enrolled ...

Exposure to overnutrition in utero may increase offspring cardiometabolic disease risk. A mouse model of maternal exposure to an obesogenic diet (DIO) was used to determine effects on fetal and placental weight and gene expression in mid- and late gestation. DIO altered placental gene expression in mid-gestation without differences in ...

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2) are involved in the complex mechanism of human parturition. The present study examined mRNA expression and activity of membrane 11β-HSD1 and placental 11β-HSD2 in postdate pregnancies according to response of labor induction. In comparison to postdate women who had spontaneous delivery or ...

In cattle, the blastocyst hatches from the zona pellucida on days 8-9 and then forms a conceptus that grows and elongates into an ovoid and then filamentous shape between days 9 and 16. The growing conceptus synthesizes and secretes prostaglandins (PGs) and interferon τ (IFNT). Our hypothesis was that the ...

We examined the molecular characteristics of monocytes of pregnant and non-pregnant women to investigate the molecular effects that are associated with immunoregulation at the maternal-fetal interface. We analyzed molecular features and target genes in monocytes of pregnant women using flow cytometry, real-time PCR and oligonucleotide microarray technology. CD14(high) monocytes and ...

Since genomic microarray became available as a diagnostic instrument in the prenatal setting, knowledge about the chance of revealing causative submicroscopic copy number variants (CNVs) in pregnancies with ultrasound anomalies is essential in prenatal care. The prevalence of pathogenic submicroscopic CNVs in fetuses with a structural ultrasound anomaly restricted to ...

Atherosis of spiral arteries in uteroplacental beds from preeclamptic women resemble those of atherosclerosis, characterized by increased plasma lipids and lipoproteins. We hypothesized that: 1) lipoprotein receptors/transporters in the placenta would be upregulated in preeclampsia, associated with increased maternal and fetal lipoprotein concentrations; and 2) expression of these would be ...

When a triploid pregnancy is diagnosed prenatally, gynaecologists have traditionally relied on the histopathological examination of the tissue from the terminated pregnancy to determine if the pregnancy is molar. However, reproducibility is poor and variability is high when diagnosing hydatidiform moles. Triploid pregnancies can have either the chromosomal constitution of ...

Ghrelin, a novel motilin-related endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagouge receptor, is implicated in various biological functions, including regulation of female reproduction. But the presence of ghrelin and its role in reproductive functions in buffalo, a species with poor reproductive efficiency, is not known. In the present study full-length ghrelin ...

Recurrent hydatidiform moles is an uncommon occurrence. Over the past decade, genetic studies of women with multiple recurrent molar pregnancies have revealed that maternal mutations in two different genes, NLRP7 and C6orf221, result in recurrent moles. We report a 23 year old woman, born of unrelated parents, who has experienced ...

PURPOSE: The changes of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in the serum and the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) in the decidua in different stages of gestation period were investigated. METHODS: The ELISA double antibody sandwich method was used to detect the concentration of LTB4 in the serum in 21 cases and its levels of ...

During pregnancy, most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience a spontaneous improvement in their condition. Since type I interferons (IFN) have immunomodulatory properties, we investigated whether type I IFN-inducible genes are upregulated in pregnant patients with RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of fetal facial expressions at 25-27weeks of gestation using 4D ultrasound. METHODS: Twenty-four normal fetuses were examined using 4D ultrasound. The face of each fetus was recorded continuously for 15minutes. The frequencies of tongue expulsion, yawning, sucking, mouthing, blinking, scowling, and smiling were assessed and ...

OBJECTIVE: First, to determine if microRNA-17 and -19b are expressed in villous samples at early stages of pregnancy. Second, to determine whether placental expressions of these microRNAs along with their main targets (PTEN, CREB-1, TGFβ-1 and TGFβ-RII) are altered in early pregnancy loss. STUDY DESIGN: Expression levels of microRNAs and ...

Context:Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a leading cause of perinatal mortality, yet no reliable screening test exists. Placental specific mRNA in the maternal circulation may reflect changes in the placental transcriptome in FGR and could be a novel biomarker for FGR.Objective:The aim of the study was to identify placental specific ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of estradiol and estrogen receptor α (ESRα) in severe preeclamptic (sPE) pregnancies compared with normal pregnancies. Sera and placentas were obtained from i) patients with sPE (n=25) and ii) a normal control group (n=25) who underwent elective Cesarean deliveries. Estradiol expression ...

High proportions of human embryos produced by in vitro fertilization are aneuploidy and mosaic. DNA microarray is one of the most practical screening methods to select euploid embryos for transfer. However, mosaic pregnancy is still possible due to embryonic mosacism. Here we report a successful pregnancy after transfer of a ...

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is an autosomal recessive ciliopathic human genetic disorder with variable expression that is difficult to diagnose in pregnancy without known risk factors. Homozygosity testing has been shown to be a useful tool in identifying BBS mutations and candidate genes in affected individuals. We present the first case ...

Preeclampsia is a placental disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant women, and it is associated with a high maternal and neonatal morbidity. However, circulating biomarkers that are able to predict the prognosis of preeclampsia are lacking. Thirty-eight women were included in the current study. They consisted of 19 ...

Proprotein convertases are a family of serine proteinases that are related to bacterial subtilisin and yeast kexin. They are involved in posttranslational processing of the precursors of a vast number of cellular proteins. With the exception of PC1/3, the relative expression levels of the proprotein convertases in the ovary during ...

The placental syncytiotrophoblast releases micro and nanovesicles (STBM), into the maternal circulation in normal pregnancy and in increased amounts in pre-eclampsia (PE), which have proinflammatory and antiangiogenic activity and are implicated in PE pathophysiology. Better characterisation of STBM is essential to understand their role in PE. STBM prepared by placental ...

Objective. Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific syndrome and one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiological mechanisms of PE remain poorly known. Recently, circulating miRNAs are considered as potential useful noninvasive biomarkers. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed plasma miRNAs ...

PLAC1 (Placenta-Specific 1) is a recently described, trophoblast-expressed gene essential for normal placental development. The protein localizes to the microvillus membrane surface of the syncytiotrophoblast in direct proximity to the maternal compartment. Although its role has not been defined, increased circulating levels of human PLAC1 mRNA in maternal blood are ...

In pre-eclampsia, placental leptin is up-regulated and leptin is elevated in maternal plasma. To investigate potential epigenetic regulation of the leptin (LEP) gene in normal and complicated pregnancy, DNA methylation was assessed at multiple reported regulatory regions in placentae from control pregnancies (n=111), and those complicated by early onset pre-eclampsia ...